Couple hangs themselves to escape Covid-19 debt

[Thaiger]

A couple who were said to be deeply in debt due to Covid-19 in Mueang Chon Buri were found hanging in their home, apparently by suicide. Neighbours say the man and woman were both food cart vendors who struggled to find enough customers to make ends meet and had turned to a loan shark for help paying their bills. Yesterday morning, the police received a call about the bodies being found at their rental home in Na Pa. When police arrived, they saw the man hanging from the front door by a rope. He was 57 years old and from […]

The post Couple hangs themselves to escape Covid-19 debt appeared first on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

[Y.Not]

This is only the start how many we don’t hear about all of the world this will happen my mate in Singapore spoke to the other day four of his friends committed Suicide couldn’t repay there loans . RSP 

[Soidog]

This is such a sad story. How can we live in a world where people feel they have no choice but to end their life due to money concerns. Just leaves you feeling so sorry for these people. Dreadful

[Martin]

This is so desperately sad and a reminder, if any were needed, of the dreadful toll this pandemic is having on people quite aside from actually getting infected and sick with covid. RIP to this couple.

 

 

[EdwardV]

So, so sad. We hear stories after stories about how personal debt it reaching all time highs and still rising. It’s sad to read the results. Prays for out to them and their families. The government isn’t doing nearly enough to support the informal sector. Wish they could figure out a way to do more. 

[PapayaBokBok]

My mantra..if i cant pay for it in cash I dont get it.....or use my credit card, which I only use for airfare really

Even now when I shop I only buy things on sale or discounted, such as meat as long as the dates are ok I know what im eating for the week and I cook it all up at once and may eat same thing all week--half off. As meat prices are crazy now..and its mostly pork, as beef is pricey.....or canned tuna is cheap--beans--eggs

I also have spent months living in my car in july! (heat)....saving my money for LOS instead of $$$ rent in US,would eat discounted prepared foods and use a 24 hr gym for showers($10/month)......the reason Ive been in LOS since 2008 is cos my own country is too expensive for basic human needs, so I live in LOS, come home to work for a few months, then take that money to have a better quality of life in LOS..

I would never, ever take a loan if I knew I couldnt afford it, as one good thing is I have no debt=freedom

Reminds me of the book Debt is Slavery.....I owe no one anything and i can go anywhere in the world as i taught myself to budget, be frugal and discipline, as are wealthy people, rich people are not wealthy, nor am I as Im actually poor but take that small amount I have in the states and make it stretch 3x more in LOS

 

[stuhan]

Very sad, unfortunate but that's the dark side of thailand thats rife especially in the rural areas . I live in a small village in the northern provinces and i see the misery and worries the people endure from loan sharks but they just don't have any choice . I have banned my thai family from using loan sharks and told them i will stop supporting them and leave if they do.loan sharks are very dangerous nasty individuals .

[gummy]

59 minutes ago, PapayaBokBok said:

My mantra..if i cant pay for it in cash I dont get it.....or use my credit card, which I only use for airfare really

Even now when I shop I only buy things on sale or discounted, such as meat as long as the dates are ok I know what im eating for the week and I cook it all up at once and may eat same thing all week--half off. As meat prices are crazy now..and its mostly pork, as beef is pricey.....or canned tuna is cheap--beans--eggs

I also have spent months living in my car in july! (heat)....saving my money for LOS instead of $$$ rent in US,would eat discounted prepared foods and use a 24 hr gym for showers($10/month)......the reason Ive been in LOS since 2008 is cos my own country is too expensive for basic human needs, so I live in LOS, come home to work for a few months, then take that money to have a better quality of life in LOS..

I would never, ever take a loan if I knew I couldnt afford it, as one good thing is I have no debt=freedom

Reminds me of the book Debt is Slavery.....I owe no one anything and i can go anywhere in the world as i taught myself to budget, be frugal and discipline, as are wealthy people, rich people are not wealthy, nor am I as Im actually poor but take that small amount I have in the states and make it stretch 3x more in LOS

That is fine if you have the mental fortitude to be able to do that. Unfortunately this poor couple did not and concluded in their own minds that they could not continue to live like that thus taking their own lives. Very sad, but as others have said there are many many more around the world that due to covid have gone down that slippery slip.

[thai3]

Should have been a couple from the government, especially one who told AZ last year Thailand only needed 3 million shots a month !

[colinneil]

What a sad/ tragic story, they must have been at their wits end, worrying about the debts, not knowing any other way out.

Not only covid but things like this go on everyday here, loan shark heavies going around on BIG bikes, threatening people.

The rural poor borrow from sharks at crazy interest rates, then are unable to repay, and sadly some see death as their only escape.

[PapayaBokBok]

53 minutes ago, gummy said:

That is fine if you have the mental fortitude to be able to do that. Unfortunately this poor couple did not and concluded in their own minds that they could not continue to live like that thus taking their own lives. Very sad, but as others have said there are many many more around the world that due to covid have gone down that slippery slip.

So why were they unable to do so?  We are all human and born the same. Im not trying to be cruel, but this seems to be a pattern. Do they think loan sharks are good? Do they not hear about others who take this route?. Is being a vendor enough?...we all wake up and make choices that guide us. I would never use a loan shark, have they no family, no other options, education, learn a new skill? they choose the easy way out, as dying is easy and they had a debt, they did not honor.. living is the hard part, no to mention they now have on their families as im sure they left behind some sort, siblings, parents, grandparents, kids?...Are they now responsible for this debt as I dont see loan sharks just saying no worries-mai pen rai..hence the "sharks" part.  Signed a single poor man who left his home country, alone, in 2008 leaving behind everything due to the fact I cant afford basic human needs there such as affordable housing-healthcare and healthy food options.

[PapayaBokBok]

36 minutes ago, colinneil said:

What a sad/ tragic story, they must have been at their wits end, worrying about the debts, not knowing any other way out.

Not only covid but things like this go on everyday here, loan shark heavies going around on BIG bikes, threatening people.

The rural poor borrow from sharks at crazy interest rates, then are unable to repay, and sadly some see death as their only escape.

Curious--So whats the solution to this problem?   I can think of many before I would approach a "shark"

So goes the saying swim with sharks and you are likely to get bitten....

[gummy]

2 minutes ago, PapayaBokBok said:

So why were they unable to do so?  We are all human and born the same. Im not trying to be cruel, but this seems to be a pattern. Do they think loan sharks are good? Do they not hear about others who take this route?. Is being a vendor enough?...we all wake up and make choices that guide us. I would never use a loan shark, have they no family, no other options, education, learn a new skill? they choose the easy way out, as dying is easy and they had a debt, they did not honor.. living is the hard part, no to mention they now have on their families as im sure they left behind some sort, siblings, parents, grandparents, kids?...Are they now responsible for this debt as I dont see loan sharks just saying no worries-mai pen rai..hence the "sharks" part.  Signed a single poor man who left his home country, alone, in 2008 leaving behind everything due to the fact I cant afford basic human needs there such as affordable housing-healthcare and healthy food options.

I am not a Psychiatrist so would not know their mental state that resulted in them taking their own lives

[PapayaBokBok]

1 hour ago, stuhan said:

Very sad, unfortunate but that's the dark side of thailand thats rife especially in the rural areas . I live in a small village in the northern provinces and i see the misery and worries the people endure from loan sharks but they just don't have any choice . I have banned my thai family from using loan sharks and told them i will stop supporting them and leave if they do.loan sharks are very dangerous nasty individuals .

We, as humans wake everyday and make choices..being the key word.....i try to make good ones, not bad

We are all born equal, and each have brains, and freewill....Im gonna play devils advocate on this one...

Death is the final choice, and a selfish one

[PapayaBokBok]

Just now, gummy said:

I am not a Psychiatrist so would not know their mental state that resulted in them taking their own lives

and yet you assume to know it per your comment towards mine..they seemed well enough to be vendors, and understand lack of customers during covid....what if they had a regular customers and went to them and explained the situation? can they not grow food in rural area? eggs-chickens-rice-veg? Ive seen thais or burmese living in tin shacks with mud floors..they had a rental home, etc......sell one the carts to survive?

move out of the "house" to stg smaller?...find something the public needs and fill that during covid?....

[PapayaBokBok]

Im curious as well if now the family which knowing thais there is, is now on the hook for the debt..

putting them in a spot and to suffer the loss of family members, whom seemingly left them now in debt

[PapayaBokBok]

49 minutes ago, colinneil said:

What a sad/ tragic story, they must have been at their wits end, worrying about the debts, not knowing any other way out.

Not only covid but things like this go on everyday here, loan shark heavies going around on BIG bikes, threatening people.

The rural poor borrow from sharks at crazy interest rates, then are unable to repay, and sadly some see death as their only escape.

I could offer a dozen options before the last two being going to a shark--which led to this final sad choice, but I struggle with them not knowing the reputation of sharks living in that area and how thais gossip...smh

If I was in that situation and to that level what could be worse than trying to make a run for it?..the police I suppose wont touch this.......no help from friends? family? anyone?.....death being the only final solution???

[gummy]

4 minutes ago, PapayaBokBok said:

and yet you assume to know it per your comment towards mine..they seemed well enough to be vendors, and understand lack of customers during covid....what if they had a regular customers and went to them and explained the situation? can they not grow food in rural area? eggs-chickens-rice-veg? Ive seen thais or burmese living in tin shacks with mud floors..they had a rental home, etc......sell one the carts to survive?

move out of the "house" to stg smaller?...find something the public needs and fill that during covid?....

Have you thought of joining the Samaritans in Thailand ? you seem to have all the right attributes 

[JamesE]

6 minutes ago, PapayaBokBok said:

and yet you assume to know it per your comment towards mine..they seemed well enough to be vendors, and understand lack of customers during covid....what if they had a regular customers and went to them and explained the situation? can they not grow food in rural area? eggs-chickens-rice-veg? Ive seen thais or burmese living in tin shacks with mud floors..they had a rental home, etc......sell one the carts to survive?

move out of the "house" to stg smaller?...find something the public needs and fill that during covid?....

But what do you do when none of those are viable options. This is not a rural area, so farming isn't an option. The economic downturn is particularly rough in the tourist areas so who would they sell one of their food carts to? What if they believed all the promises that things were going to get better? Maybe the loan sharks were the last option to allow them to eat.

None of us knows the particulars of their situation but many people don't have the advantage of understanding how the system works. And many of us don't know how bad it can get when you run out of options.

So go easy on these people. There are people who will make it through this mess and some who won't. A little sympathy for those who decide they won't is in order.

[Faraday]

17 minutes ago, PapayaBokBok said:

We, as humans wake everyday and make choices..being the key word.....i try to make good ones, not bad

Yes, you may well make 'good' choices, which are based on knowledge, experience & assessing the risk or possible outcomes.

This poor couple seemingly didn't have enough of these skills.

We all make mistakes, & sadly they made bad ones, which led them to their suicide.

Try having some compassion.

[AussieBob]

10 minutes ago, JamesE said:

But what do you do when none of those are viable options. This is not a rural area, so farming isn't an option. The economic downturn is particularly rough in the tourist areas so who would they sell one of their food carts to? What if they believed all the promises that things were going to get better? Maybe the loan sharks were the last option to allow them to eat.

None of us knows the particulars of their situation but many people don't have the advantage of understanding how the system works. And many of us don't know how bad it can get when you run out of options.

So go easy on these people. There are people who will make it through this mess and some who won't. A little sympathy for those who decide they won't is in order.

Well said James - this bloke clearly does not and has not lived in Thailand and does not have a clue about the reality of life for poor Thais in Thailand.  

[stuhan]

52 minutes ago, PapayaBokBok said:

We, as humans wake everyday and make choices..being the key word.....i try to make good ones, not bad

We are all born equal, and each have brains, and freewill....Im gonna play devils advocate on this one...

Death is the final choice, and a selfish one

I apologize ,i should have stated choice of borrowing money not suicide 

[colinneil]

51 minutes ago, PapayaBokBok said:

I could offer a dozen options before the last two being going to a shark--which led to this final sad choice, but I struggle with them not knowing the reputation of sharks living in that area and how thais gossip...smh

If I was in that situation and to that level what could be worse than trying to make a run for it?..the police I suppose wont touch this.......no help from friends? family? anyone?.....death being the only final solution???

Clearly you live in a far different world than others, you have no idea what you are talking about.

Poor desperate people, yet you make light of it, other solutions, wake up, some desperate people see no other solution than borrowing from loan sharks, you must live in a money galore world oblivious to what is going on around.

[Faraday]

1 hour ago, PapayaBokBok said:

could offer a dozen options

Alright then, list the options which are practical, realistic & achievable for people such as these in Thailand.

I doubt you are able.

 

[stuhan]

Most really poor thai's in my area anyway have no income ,no help,no education .no ways to gain new skills , some  have families that are in the same situation ,no money,no education  ect. If they are lucky they might find a days bloody hard work for a miserable 300bht that's not going to feed a family ,that is why they have no choice other than using a loan shark,they know the dangers but what can they do,i see them in the rice fields  looking for crabs,frogs,rats and roots to eat,they know i am a farang living here and come asking for some help but i cannot ,when i have work on my house to do i put the word out. It's heartbreaking to see them begging me for help.I don't  think taking  their own lives is easy for them,they must be worried,scared and very desperate to contemplate doing that,they are human beings,put yourself in their position .